TV Antenna Installation Cost

TV antenna installation cost in Australia can vary quite dramatically. In the majority of cases, a new TV antenna installation costs between $300 – $600 (including GST) including supply and installation of a new digital TV antenna.

In this article, we outline the 5 most important factors that determine the price charged by a TV antenna installer for a new TV antenna installation.

5 Factors That Determine the Cost of a TV Antenna Installation

1. The Choice of Digital TV Antenna

The most important consideration and determinant of any TV antenna installation cost is the type of digital TV antenna that is installed.

Whilst there are some differences in the type of antenna that may need to be used in your local area (for example, it may need to be VHF or UHF depending on your local TV transmitter), this will only have a marginal impact on the cost of the antenna. The more important factor to pay attention to is the quality of the antenna.

So, how do you know if the antenna installer is installing a good or bad quality TV antenna?

Look out for the following:

• Australian made product
• Heavy duty aluminium construction
• Long warranty (25 years or more)
• Yagi antenna design, preferably not a ‘combination’ antenna
• 4G/5G filtering in-built

Given the large price difference between a high quality and low quality antenna, you will want to make sure your hard earned dollars are getting spent on only the best quality products when getting a new TV antenna installed.

Low quality outdoor digital TV antennas can cost as little as $15 and their price reflects how long they will last, if they even work at all. You can typically identify low quality TV antennas from the following:

• Not Australian made product (low grade Chinese and Italian products are readily available in the Australian market)
• Small, flimsy elements (antenna arms)
• Short, or no product warranty
• Generic ‘Log Periodic’ designed antenna
• Flat (square) or indoor antenna
• Plastic tubing on antenna elements

In addition to the characteristics of the antenna, antennas will also be either high gain or low gain. Gain contributes to the signal power level received by the antenna. If you are close to your TV transmitter, and only have 1 or 2 TV points in your house, then you should be OK with a low gain antenna. However, this can easily be determined onsite using a spectrum analyser to measure the actual TV signal power level being received at your specific premises.

Ensure you ask your TV antenna man about the above characteristics before committing to the job and you will be pleased to know you have a high quality TV antenna installed for the long term.

2. Time Required To Install The TV Antenna

The time taken to install a new TV antenna will depend on the type of property. A single storey house, with an easy location to setup a ladder and harness points will take significantly less time than a 3 storey apartment block that doesn’t have internal roof access! If it is a commercial premises and the common area keys need to be collected from the real estate agent 15 minutes away, that is all going to add to the time required to install a new TV antenna.

In addition, there are some roof types that are easier to work on than others. If the roof has a very steep pitch or has roof sarking insulation, then this may also contribute to the amount of time it takes to safely setup and install a new TV antenna as well as any related cabling required.

It may seem quite obvious, but if there is more than just an antenna being installed, then that will also involve more labour in order to get the job done. If you need to install a new TV antenna mount, a lead-in cable, a TV signal booster, a splitter or new TV points, they will contribute to the amount of time required to complete the installation of a new TV antenna system.

3. TV Signal Booster Required

This is the age old question that we get asked every day of the week. “Do I need a TV signal booster?”

Unfortunately, this is very hard to diagnose over the phone. Read more about TV signal boosters to get a more detailed overview. However, the short answer is that TV signal levels can vary in every TV system, depending on a long list of factors, including the type of antenna, the type and condition of the cabling used, how many TV points are in the house (or rather the size and type of the splitter in the roofspace) and a range of other factors. This is part of the reason we offer a free quote to customers, so we are able to take those signal readings onsite and offer a solution specifically for your TV system.

Obviously, if a TV masthead amplifier or a distribution amplifier is required at your premises, this will make the new TV antenna installation more expensive than if one is not required.

4. Terrain of Your Area

To be more accurate, what we mean here is whether you live in an area that has a clear ‘line of site’ to the local TV transmitter, or a bad line of site.

If you can see your local TV transmitter from the rooftop of your house, that will suggest your TV antenna will have a very clear line of site. As a result, you can install a very low TV antenna mount on your rooftop in order to receive a high quality TV signal.

On the other hand, if the TV signals are required to travel up and down hills, travel over water, and make their way through tree leaves and thick foliage, there is a very high chance that the signal received will be distorted, reflected or otherwise result in a low quality signal. After all, this is why it is normally not a good idea to install a TV antenna inside a house or at ground level.

If this is the case, your TV antenna installer may need to conduct a roof survey to determine the best position on your roof. If the TV antenna cannot receive a good quality signal around 1.5 – 2 metres above your roof, then you may need to install a tall guyed mast to get the TV antenna even higher. Guyed masts start at around 15 feet in height and can go up to 50 feet (in multiple extendable sections). You will often be able to see these tall masts installed on your house (or your neighbour’s house) from street level.

Unfortunately, a guyed mast or telescopic mast can really increase the cost of a TV antenna installation due to the additional parts and labour required.

5. Technician Workmanship

Finally, the workmanship quality of the technician installer will also contribute to the cost of a new TV antenna installation. If you want your new TV antenna to last for the long term, you will want to get a specialised TV antenna installer that is very experienced and performs this type of work each and every day. You can read more about why you should not use an electrician to fix your TV antenna.

Getting a ‘handyman’ type person to perform work on your TV antenna system may result in a poor installation. All it takes is one poor cable termination, or the wrong type of connector being used on the cable, and your TV signal can fail within days or weeks due to rain and moisture getting into the cabling, or other signal ingress into your TV system causing interference.

As a result, it is important to get a technician who has the right tools, equipment and experience to get the job done right the first time. A single man in a van, handyman, may well not honour any warranty provided and can easily screen your calls or block your phone number should any issues arise with the installation. So be sure to get a company that has a strong reputation and has been in the industry for a long time.

Install My Antenna installs only high quality, Australian made TV antennas. We have experienced technicians local to your area and we guarantee you perfect digital TV reception! You can get a free quote on our website just by entering your address and phone number.